Florida Security Freeze Process

You have a right to place a “security freeze” on your credit report, which will prohibit us from releasing any information in your credit report without your express authorization, except to those with whom you have an existing account or a collection agency acting on behalf of the existing account, for purposes of reviewing (account maintenance, monitoring, credit line increases and account upgrades and enhancements) or collecting the account. Your information also may be used for the purposes of prescreening as provided for by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, even if a security freeze is on the report. A security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent; however, using a security freeze may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent requests or applications regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, insurance, government services or payments, rental housing, employment, investment, license, cellular phone, utilities, digital signature, Internet credit card transaction, or other services, including an extension of credit at point of sale.

The fee for placing a security freeze on a credit report is $10. If you are a victim of identity theft and submit a valid police report, investigative report, or complaint with a law enforcement agency about the unlawful use of your identifying information, the fee will be waived. If you are 65 years of age or older the fee will be waived. To request a security freeze, log on to www.experian.com/freeze or send all of the following via certified mail to Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013: full name, with middle initial and generation, such as JR, SR, II, III, etc.; current mailing address and previous addresses for the past two years; Social Security number; and date of birth (month, day and year).

In addition, enclose one copy of a government issued identification card, such as a driver’s license, state ID card, etc., and one copy of a utility bill, bank or insurance statement, etc. Make sure that each copy is legible (enlarge if necessary), displays your name and current mailing address, and the date of issue (statement dates must be recent). We are unable to accept credit card statements, voided checks, lease agreements, magazine subscriptions or postal service forwarding orders as proof. To protect your personal identification information, Experian does not return correspondence sent to us. Be sure to include the $10 fee, a valid law enforcement report or complaint, or indicate that you are 65 years of age or older and live in Florida to qualify for the fee to be waived. We will send you a confirmation notice once the security freeze has been added, and you will be given a personal identification number (PIN) that will be required in order to remove the freeze temporarily (in order to apply for credit or for any transaction that requires that another party access your personal credit report) or permanently.

To temporarily remove a security freeze for a period of time in order to apply for credit or for any transaction that requires that another party access your personal credit report, log on to www.experian.com/freeze or call 1 888 EXPERIAN (1 888 397 3742), then enter your identification information and PIN, and select the number of days that you wish the freeze to be removed. The fee for temporarily removing a security freeze is $10. There is no fee for victims of identity theft who provide a valid copy of an identity theft report filed with a law enforcement agency. To temporarily remove a security freeze for a specific party, provide your PIN to the party you wish to grant access to your report.

To permanently remove a security freeze, log on to www.experian.com/freeze or call 1 888 EXPERIAN (1 888 397 3742). You also may write to us and provide your identification information and PIN. If you write to us, always include all of your personal identification information and proof of your address as specified in this letter. The fee for permanently removing a security freeze is $10. There is no fee for victims of identity theft who provide a valid copy of an identity theft report filed with a law enforcement agency.

If you move to a new address and wish to keep the security freeze on your file, submit your request in writing and include all of your personal identification information and proof of your new address as specified in this letter.

In addition, a protected consumer according to Florida state law is a consumer younger than 16 years of age at the time of the request or a consumer represented by a guardian or other advocate.

To request a security freeze for a protected consumer in your care, submit all of the above information for both you and the protected consumer.

If the protected consumer is under the age of 16, please include a copy of the minor’s birth certificate and a copy of the minor’s Social Security card. Once we have received your request and all of the required information for both you and the minor, a freeze will be placed on the minor’s credit file. If a credit file for the minor does not currently exist, a file for the minor will be created. Experian does not knowingly maintain credit information on minors. If you are the minor’s guardian, be sure to include a copy of the operator’s license, court document naming you as the guardian or other appropriate court appointed documents. If the protected consumer has been appointed a guardian or conservator, please include a signed court document indicating conservatorship or guardianship, etc. The fee to place or remove a freeze on a protected consumer’s credit file is $10.

Acceptable forms of payment to place or remove a security freeze are credit card, check and money order. If you submit your credit card information by mail, be sure to include the name exactly as it is displayed on the card, the credit card type, the credit card number and the expiration date. Accepted credit cards are American Express, Discover, MasterCard and VISA.